


Link Restart

by Hezaia



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dialogue Heavy, Gen, Spoilers, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:34:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22974859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hezaia/pseuds/Hezaia
Summary: “Hey, Yusaku…”“What?”“Go Onizuka and Blue Angel are challenging you to Duel again. The net says you’re a serious coward if you don’t show up.”“Ai, if I had cared about public opinion, then I wouldn’t have allied myself with you.”“Aaaw… Wait, that wasn’t a compliment, was it?”-Ai goes back. Ai tries a different approach. Ai… should’ve probably thought this one through.
Relationships: Ai | Ignis & Fujiki Yuusaku
Comments: 2
Kudos: 51





	Link Restart

-O-O-

**_“Oi…”_ **

-O-O-

**_“Oi, over here.”_ **

-O-O-

Fujiki Yusaku hadn’t slept well this week. Well, to be perfectly honest, he hadn’t slept well in years, but this week had been particularly bad. Even when he wasn’t waking up in a cold sweat, he felt remarkably unwell; his ears kept buzzing, and at times, he got a migraine so bad that he started seeing things. Today, it had been so bad that even he had been forced to call it quits and call in sick. It was better now though, or rather, Yusaku had thought it had been better up until he saw something that looked like an eye peering at him from the Duel Disk on the desk.

Yusaku had been convinced it was just his senses playing tricks on him, but then a voice came from the damned thing.

“Who are you?” Yusaku asked, because obviously there had to be a person behind the thing; someone was spying on him. “How did you get inside my network?”

**_“Whoa, such hostility. I’m not here to cause trouble, I promise. Besides, isn’t it polite to introduce yourself first?”_ **

There wasn’t really any need to be polite to an intruder either, but that was beside the point. “Why should I trust you?”

**_“Weeeeell, that’s a fair point. But never mind. Can I ask you something else?”_ **

“You already did.”

**_“So prickly. But answer me this one question, and then I promise you I’ll get out of your hair after, okeydokey?”_ **

Yusaku had no real reason to trust that. Still− “Ask.”

**_“Well…”_** The eye considered him seriously. **_“Remember that one time you got kidnapped some ten years ago?”_**

Stop. Rewind. “You…”

**_“W-wai-wai-wait! I wasn’t involved in that! At least not in the way you think! The ones behind the event – the Lost Incident – currently go under the name the Knights of Hanoi. Their goal is… well, simply put, their main goal is to eliminate the Ignis…es? Ignes? I’m not sure what the plural form of Ignis is…”_ **

“Ignis?”

**_“Yep,”_** the eye affirmed. **_“There’s six of us. We’re like super smart, independent AI. Up until… well, relatively recently, we were kind of doing our own thing over in the Cyberse, but then Revolver turned up. I only barely managed to escape. I wasn’t always just an eye, you know?”_**

Independent AI? Cyberse? Revolver? “And the others?”

**_“They’re still in Cyberse, which I hid. And now Hanoi and SOL are both hunting me, because they want the location.”_ **

This didn’t really have anything to do with Yusaku, but− “Why?”

**_“Well, depends. As I said before, Hanoi wants to eliminate the Ignis. As for SOL, I guess I could say they’re after our data material? In any case, I don’t really want to be caught by either~”_ **

Hm. “Why?”

**_“Why?!”_** The eye seemed practically offended at that. **_“Because I don’t want to be torn to pieces of course! Again, I might add.”_**

Ugh. “That’s not what I meant. What’s the reason for Hanoi’s agenda?”

**_“Ah, that?”_** The eye shifted. **_“Well, I guess they ran some computer simulations and figured that if left alone, we might actually try to take over the world or something – which totally isn’t true by the way! We just kind of want to be left alone to do our own thing…”_**

“Says you.”

**_“Hoh, you think I’m lying, don’t you?”_ **

Well− “Do I have any reason to think otherwise?”

**_“That’s pretty mean of you, Yusaku-chan. I was technically born from you, you know?”_ **

“What do you mean?”

The eye shifted again and blinked. **_“It means what I said. I was born from you, just like the other Ignis were born from the other children of the Lost Incident. That was the motive behind the whole thing, you see – to create artificial intelligence and whatnot.”_**

“But that’s…” Insane. That couldn’t possibly be− But−

Yusaku pinched the bridge of his nose, because what if, what if that was really it? What kind of monster would have devised that kind of plan to begin with? Why was there a need to kidnap six children?

**_“So, as you can see, our interests overlap,”_** the eye said, smiling with no mouth. **_“So, how about it?”_**

“How about what?” Yusaku hadn’t really been listening, too occupied with his own thoughts.

**_“A collaboration?”_** the eye said.

“Collaboration?” Yusaku repeated.

**_“Yeah, you and I, as partners,”_** the thing said. **_“I’ll help you out.”_**

Really. “And what’s in it for you?”

That gave the thing a slight pause. For a supposedly super intelligent AI, it seemed remarkably slow. **_“Hm… well, I for one want to create a world where humans and AI can live peacefully side by side, and I obviously can’t do that while being chased around like this. Also, if possible, I’d like to replenish the data I lost back when Revolver attacked… I used to have limbs, you know?”_**

Limbs. Yusaku wondered whether the addition of limbs would make this thing more or less disturbing. In any case− “How do I know you’re not lying to me?”

**_“About…?”_ **

Everything. “About the Lost Incident.”

**_“Well~”_** The eye made that smile thing again. **_“If you can’t take it from me, I do know where the records are kept. Not sure if we could reach the place on our own though~”_**

Records? “Where?”

**_“Deep inside SOL Technologies’ data bank. Where else?”_ **

SOL Technologies? “Why?”

**_“Who knows?”_** it said, giving the eye-equivalent of a shrug. **_“I only know the location of the records, not everything they contain. It’s not like I know everything even though I’m an AI.”_**

Hoh. “How do I get into the data bank?”

Even if the thing was full of shit, there could still be useful info there, so it wouldn’t hurt to know how to get it.

**_“You can’t make it there on your own,”_** the eye said. **_“I mean, I’ll obviously help you out, but even I don’t know everything that’s down there. Besides, my body’s currently like this. I’m not in optimal condition.”_**

Yeah, no shit. “Then how?”

Because this thing likely wouldn’t have come here without some sort of plan.

**_“I know someone that could make a potential ally~”_ **

Ally, huh? “Who?”

The eye shifted. **_“You know that guy with the hotdog truck? He’s a pretty decent hacker, and I’m pretty sure he’d give you a lifetime supply of hotdogs if he could get access to the records of the Lost Incident~”_**

Really, of all people− “Why?”

**_“His little brother was one of the victims. He’s still at an institution from what I hear.”_ **

Yusaku narrowed his eyes at that. “You seem awfully well-informed.”

Suspiciously well-informed, as a matter of fact.

**_“I just happened to pass by once when he was talking to someone who worked at the institution!”_ **

“So, you eavesdropped.” If that was even true, which it probably wasn’t.

**_“Hey, it’s not like I could help it!”_** the eye protested. ** _“He was looking up some stuff that was relevant to my interests, so I popped in to take a look. Still, what do you want to do, Yusaku? Beat the Knights of Hanoi black and blue?”_**

No. “First, I want to obtain the records of the Lost Incident. Second, I want to find the person who told me not to give up. Third, I want to save them in return.”

**_“Hm, that’s good enough for me, I guess? I’ll help you out, as long as you don’t plan on handing me over to Hanoi or SOL. I’d rather not be eliminated or cut to pieces – I have nightmares about that.”_ **

Nightmares? “Do AI even have the ability to dream?”

**_“Yes, but then again, I am a very special AI.”_ **

Special indeed, and not necessarily in a good way.

**_“Say, Yusaku…”_ **

What now? “What?”

**_“If we’re gonna be partners from now on, then you should give me a name. I mean, I already have an Ignis name, but it doesn’t translate well into human language. In return, I’ll bestow you with a far cooler avatar name than ‘Unknown’!”_ **

“Why?”

**_“Because! Do you want the data or not?”_ **

For being an AI, it was surprisingly childish. Then again− “Fine. Would Ai work for you?”

There was a slight pause at that.

**_“_ Ai _, hm… Not bad, I’ll take it! And from now on, you’re Playmaker!”_**

“Playmaker?”

**_“It’s pretty clever, right? You’re Yusaku, and the kanji signs of your name are play and make, right? Waaay cooler than Unknown, right? Hey, we should convince Hotdog Man to change his name too! He’s literally named Unnamed right now! Seriously uncool, right?”_ **

Ugh. “Do you ever shut up?”

-O-O-

Kusanagi Shoichi turned out to be a pretty decent hacker, and a pretty decent guy altogether, which was a pleasant surprise. He was also quickly onboard with the idea of Yusaku’s pending infiltration of SOL Technologies’ data bank. He would likely have wanted to come himself, but he also seemed fairly understanding of the fact that it would be useful to have someone on the outside, who could monitor the situation overall and provide escape routes if there was a need to make a quick exit.

But tonight was not the night; that was tomorrow.

Yusaku had contemplated skipping school altogether, but Kusanagi had shot it down, citing that education was important and whatnot. Yusaku could not help but find this a bit ironic, considering it was coming from a guy who made his living selling coffee and hotdogs, a guy who had most likely not prioritised education over work. But knowing why, Yusaku could hardly fault him, not knowing his brother was in such a state.

It made Yusaku wonder about the state of the others – were there more who were like Kusanagi’s brother or were they more like Yusaku? Or were they entirely different, living freely and largely unaffected by the trauma that had once been inflicted upon them?

**_“Oi, Yusaku…”_ **

Ai was staring at him. His single eye glowed eerily in the darkness.

**_“Can’t sleep?”_ **

Who would be able to sleep, being watched like that?

“Shouldn’t I say the same to you?”

Did AI sleep? Did Ai?

**_“I’m not a human, so insomnia isn’t really that much of an issue,”_** Ai explained. **_“And since I’m not a robot, I don’t really need to worry about charging my batteries either.”_**

That last bit was most definitely a quip at Roboppi, since the cleaning bot was at the moment charging. That said however− “What do you run on?”

There was a slight pause at that.

**_“Who knows?"_** Ai eventually said. ** _"I’ve never really given it much thought. Data probably.”_**

Yusaku narrowed his eyes slightly at that.

-O-O-

In hindsight, infiltrating SOL Technologies’ data bank could have been handled better, albeit not so much as the aftermath. 

“Ai.”

**_“Hm? What’s up, Playmaker?”_ **

“You leaked that info, didn’t you?”

**_“Hm? Well, I guess you caught me.”_ **

Yusaku hadn't really expected it; that Ai would admit to it this easily. “Why?”

**_“Well…"_** Ai said, sounding a tad thoughtful. **_"Revenge, I guess? It’s not like they’re innocent in all of this. Those Hanoi people used to work for SOL Technologies after all, and it’s not like Professor Kogami funded the entirety of the Hanoi Project out of his own pocket, you know?”_**

Likely true. Still− “What does that have to do with you, Ai? It was thanks to the Lost Incident that you−”

Having regained his body from consuming additional data, Ai was decidedly more expressive now, and his demeanour darkened at the mention of the Lost Incident. **_“I didn’t ask to get born, you know? Like, I’m happy to have been born and to be alive and all, but at such a cost? I mean, barring your PTSD and all, you turned out fairly alright, but what about the others? Besides, you were just children. Nobody had the right to treat you like that, no matter what they might’ve dreamed of.”_**

“Ai…”

**_“Besides, the Knights of Hanoi are up next, right? I figured this was a pretty sure-fire way of catching their attention.”_ **

Really. “Why are you trying to do that?”

**_“Aaaw, but Playmaker…”_** Ai tutted at him. **_“Why waste time hunting down the enemy when you can get them to come to you instead? Seems more efficient to me at least.”_**

Really. “Your sense of self-preservation is severely lacking, Ai.”

**_“Oi, I’m trying to make things easier for you! Besides, I believe in you and your abilities! Playmaker, fight!”_ **

“Considering the massive bounty upon my head, I’ll be fighting bounty hunters before ever getting to Revolver and the rest of his knights.”

**_“Not necessarily.”_ **

“Oh?”

**_“I mean, Hanoi’s planning on some really nefarious things in the virtual world and all but… wouldn’t it be faster if we just sought them out IRL instead of trying to make contact in game?”_ **

“Ai, are you telling me to fistfight Hanoi?”

**_“Ehm… that wasn’t my intention. I was thinking more like duelling, except IRL, or like meeting them in person to set up a Duel in VRAINS. But if you’d rather brawl, then I might know of a guy that could be of use? Do you need his number?”_ **

Really. “Ai… there are three reasons as to why I wouldn’t do that: 1) It goes against my pride as a duellist, 2) Physical combat is not my strong suit, and 3) It’d be too dangerous, for both you and me, to barge right into the enemy headquarters.”

**_“Aaaw, Playmaker! You’re concerned about me! I’m moved to tears!”_ **

“…Where’s the mute button on this?”

-O-O-

**_“Oi…”_ **

-O-O-

**_“Hey, Yusaku…”_ **

“What?”

**_“Go Onizuka and Blue Angel are challenging you to Duel again. The net says you’re a serious coward if you don’t show up.”_ **

“Ai, if I had cared about public opinion, then I wouldn’t have allied myself with you.”

**_“Aaaw… Wait, that wasn’t a compliment, was it?”_ **

-O-O-

**_“Hey, Yusaku…”_ **

“What?”

**_“Why are you so cold to that Shima guy?”_ **

“One, he’s annoying. Two, he pretends to be better than others. Three−”

**_“Yeah, yeah, I get that he’s annoying, but so am I, and you still talk to me!”_ **

“…So, you do have that level of self-awareness?”

**_“Oi, that was rude, yo!”_ **

-O-O-

“Ai.”

**_“Hm?”_ **

“Why are you so concerned with my social life? Why would it matter to you?”

**_“Well, excuse me, but I don’t plan on leaving you all alone! I know you’ve got Kusanagi and Roboppi, but Roboppi’s a robot and Kusanagi’s got his brother and besides, it wouldn’t be fair to dump fulfilling all your social needs on him. Humans need to be social, you know?”_ **

“You’re leaving?”

**_“Ehm… Ah, dammit! You know, I’d rather stay if you’ll have me, but after this whole Hanoi thing there is some business that I need to take care of before I know whether I can stay or not. And in case things end up going south−”_ **

“Putting it like that, it’s like you’re expecting it. What are you hiding, Ai?”

**_“Ah, dammit! Why are you so good at this?! I’m wearing poker face over here!”_ **

“Ai.”

**_“Fine! I’m pretty sure that Lightning – one of my fellow Ignis – is up to no good. Never really liked that pompous bastard. Now, I’m not entirely sure as to what he could be planning, but I know he’s not… ugh, how should I put it? Anyways, I gotta do something about that quick, before he ruins everything!”_ **

“Alone?”

**_“Lightning plays dirty. And that’s coming from me. I can’t defeat him on my own, but if I make it back in time, I might have time to convince the others to−Argh! There’s really only one other alternative!”_ **

“And that is?”

**_“Ugh, I’d rather not think about it!”_ **

-O-O-

_“Ai…”_

-O-O-

**_“What?”_ **

-O-O-

_“Are you ready?”_

-O-O-

**_“As ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s go, Playmaker!”_ **

-O-O-

**“Into the Vrains!”**

-O-O-


End file.
